Antrodia camphorata inhibits metastasis and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition via the modulation of claudin-1 and Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathways in human colon cancer cells

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Antrodia camphorata (AC) is a well known traditional Chinese medicinal mushroom in Taiwan, has been used to treat various diseases including cancer. Materials and methods: In this study, we investigated the anti-metastatic and anti-EMT properties of a fermented culture broth of AC in human colon SW480(claudin-1-) and metastatic SW620(claudin-1+) cancer cells in vitro. Results: AC down-regulates claudin-1 and inhibits the proliferation and colony-formation abilities of both SW620(claudin-1+) and SW480(claudin-1-) cells. In highly metastatic SW620(claudin-1+) cells, non-cytotoxic concentrations of AC significantly inhibited migration/invasion, accompanied by the down-regulation of MMP-2 and MMP-9 proteins. AC decreased nuclear translocation of Wnt/beta-catenin through a GSK3 beta-dependent pathway. AC consistently inhibited EMT by up-regulating the epithelial and downregulating the mesenchymal marker proteins. In SW480(claudin-1-) cells, AC suppressed migration/invasion potentially through the inhibition of the PI3K/AKT/NF kappa B signaling pathways without altering the expression levels of beta-catenin and GSK3 beta proteins. Conclusion: Altogether, this study demonstrates the anti-metastatic and anti-EMT activities of AC, which may contribute to the development of a chemopreventive agent for colon cancer.